


It's (not) You

by welovewebseries (unacaritafeliz)



Category: Check Please! (Webcomic)
Genre: (not all of it is future or married), Angst, But there's also some very happy moments!, But they're Nursey and Dex after that, Chapter one is the worst, First Kiss, Fluff, Future Fic, Getting Together, I changed the summary! This one fits better, I cried writing some of this, M/M, Soulmate AU, Soulmate-Identifying Marks, Soulmates, They're Derek and Will in chapter one because it's pre Samwell, actually FOUR soulmate AUs, married au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-05
Updated: 2017-08-02
Packaged: 2018-11-09 08:54:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 9,332
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11101176
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/unacaritafeliz/pseuds/welovewebseries
Summary: "It could still be a coincidence though," says Nursey, pressing his own thumb against the mark. "It doesn't have to be you.""Nursey..." starts Dex. He's trying to sound soft, but he probably just sounds broken. He feels broken. "Nursey, of course it's me."[Nursey and Dex in four different Soulmate AUs, where soulmates get each other's initials on their wrist as soon as the younger soulmate turns fourteen, twenty-one, twenty-eight and thirty-five respectively].





	1. Fourteen

**Author's Note:**

> To clarify: each chapter in this story is a stand-alone AU. The soulmark is the same (your soulmates initials, appearing when the youngest soulmate becomes of age) but the age that it appears at is different.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Oh," Derek breathes. "I think you might be my soulmate, man."
> 
> Will's eyes dart down to Derek's wrist where, sure enough, the letters 'WJP' are neatly printed in dark ink. His heart skips a beat, his breathing going shallow as his brain tries to process what he's seeing, that somehow this guy has a name and soulmark that match his soulmark and name perfectly. He glances back up at Derek's face. Derek's smiling, his eyes shining bright, and for one moment all Will can think is how beautiful Derek's eyes are.
> 
> Then his brain catches up and asks him what the fuck he's thinking and he snatches his hand away.
> 
> [When you get your soulmark at fourteen, chances are you probably know your soulmates initials before you meet them].

Will sighs as he collapses onto the bench at Faber, a brown paper bag filled with mini-pies clutched in his hand. He's toured the campus and met the hockey team and yet he's still no closer to deciding whether or not he wants to go to Samwell. It's a good school, close to home with a good scholarship program and one of the best hockey teams in the country (captained by the Jack Zimmermann!) but it's also got a reputation as being a small, liberal, party-oriented school and he's not sure if it'll be a good fit. The facilities are nice, but his potential teammates are... eccentric to say the least.

"Yo, Dex," says someone, sitting down next to him and throwing his arm around Will's shoulder. "Welcome to the main narrative, bro."

Will slowly rolls his shoulders the dislodge the guys arm. He's never been one for physical contact, which may be a problem because every single member the Samwell Men's Hockey team seems to like a cuddling. He turns to look at the man sitting next to him, who is tall and blonde with a good looking but somewhat forgettable face. Will thinks, rather strangely, that it was as if God had wanted him to be pretty but hadn't made the effort to put any details into his face.

"I think you've got the wrong guy," says Will. "My name's Will."

"Right, sorry, William Poin-DEX-ter," says the man. "I got ahead of the narrative there - I'm just so excited about The Frogs being here! Don't worry. It'll make sense next year, I promise."

Will raises an eyebrow. He's not sure how he's supposed to react to that. He has no idea what this guy means by 'the narrative' or 'the frogs' or why he's sitting here talking to Will like he's known him for years.

"I'm sorry, who are you?" Will asks.

"Oh, I'm Johnson - but don't worry about me I'll be gone next year anyway - gotta make room for Chow," the man, Johnson, replies. He looks across the room, searching for something. He obviously finds it because his eyes light up and a grin crosses his face. "Come with me, Dex. There's someone you gotta meet."

Before Will can protest, or ask Johnson to stop calling him Dex, Johnson grabs his arm and hauls him to his feet, pulling him across the rink to where a mustachioed man (Will is pretty sure he heard someone call him 'Shitty' - he's not sure if that's a name or a descriptor) is talking to a boy wearing a green snapback hat. Will had overheard them saying they had gone to Andover together and they looked it; well dressed, pretentious and confident

"This is Shitty," Johnson introduces, waving his hand dismissively toward the man with the mustache . "But this beautiful human being is Derek Malik Nurse. He's your defensive partner. Uh, I mean, he... would be your defensive partner if you both decide to come to this school or whatever. Shits, Nursey, this William Jacob Poindexter."

Will has no idea how Johnson knows his full name, but he mumbles an awkward hello as he shakes hands with Shitty. He turns to Derek (Nursey?) hand outstretched, but instead of shaking it, Derek grabs his hand and twists it upwards, so that Will's soulmate mark is faced upwards, the letters 'DMN' shining black against his skin.

"Oh," Derek breathes. "I think you might be my soulmate, man."

Will's eyes dart down to Derek's wrist where, sure enough, the letters 'WJP' are neatly printed in dark ink. His heart skips a beat, his breathing going shallow as his brain tries to process what he's seeing, that somehow this guy has a name and soulmark that match his soulmark and name perfectly. He glances back up at Derek's face. Derek's smiling, his eyes shining bright, and for one moment all Will can think is how beautiful Derek's eyes are.

Then his brain catches up and asks him what the fuck he's thinking and he snatches his hand away.

"I'm not gay," Will says.

He winces. He meant for it to be an explanation, a reasoning why this is just a coincidence rather than something real, but he knows it comes out too harsh. Derek deflates instantly, looking like Will has just slapped him across the face.

"Brah," says Shitty. "I don't know how much you know about Samwell, but it's a pretty liberal university and if you have a problem with the LGBT+ community then..."

"No!" Will interrupts. "I'm not... I don't have a problem with them! I just meant that this, my mark, it can't be Derek. I'm only attracted to women. I'm sorry."

"It's chill," says Derek. He doesn't look or sound like it's chill.

"Derek..." starts Will.

He trails off. He has no idea how to finish that sentence. He feels bad that he's upset Derek, but he can't just lie to this guy, or pretend that maybe they could be soulmates. His soulmate isn't a dude and if it was, he's sure it's not some rich and pretentious hipster kid from Andover.

"Look, maybe you two shouldn't write this off so quickly," says Johnson. "Like Dex, Will, you don't think you're gay, which is fine, character development takes time. But you two could be platonic soulmates? It would make sense because you're defense partners... could be defense partners if you come here, I mean. Like, Ransom and Holster. They're defense partners and... 'platonic' soulmates..."

He points over to a pair of boys on the other side of Faber. The blonde one has his arms stretched out over his friends shoulders, leaning on him as they both laugh. Johnson sounds like he doesn't actually believe they're platonic soulmates and Will doesn't either; he can't imagine there's anything platonic about the way they're looking at each other. And he knows that Derek's not his platonic soulmate either, he knows from one look at the way leaves clinging to Derek's soft, pretentious grey cardigan and the way Derek's stupid green snapback that make Derek's stupid green eyes stand out. There's no way someone like Derek could be best friends with someone like Will.

"He is not my soulmate, platonic or otherwise" says Will. "It's just a coincidence. I mean they're just letters. There's not that many combinations of letters, odds are there are multiple people with soulmarks that match mine."

"Yeah, of course, that's why the author introduced the birthday clause," says Johnson. "And Nursey got his mark on your birthday."

"How do you know that?!" Will yells, turning to face Johnson. He's heard that hockey goalies are weird but he honestly never anticipated that they could be this weird. He had no idea what half the things Johnson said actually meant, and he had no idea how he could know Will's birthday.

"Brah, Johnson knows everything," says Shitty. "We usually just roll with it."

"I got my mark on October 22nd, 2010" says Derek, quietly. "Was that your 14th birthday?"

Will frowns because that was his fourteenth birthday. That was the day that he got his own soulmark and spent the rest of the afternoon writing down every feminine name starting with a D that he could think of. 'Derek' hadn't been on that list. Derek couldn't be on that list. It has to just be a huge coincidence. There's no way Derek could actually be his soulmate, right?

"Yes," Johnson says, and Will realises he never answers Derek's question. "That's absolutely Dex's birthday."

"Yeah, but I didn't get my soulmark on my birthday," Will lies. "So my soulmate is younger than me."

He's not sure why, but he regrets the lie as soon as he says it. Maybe it's the way Derek's glaring at the floor, or the way Johnson staring at him like he can see right through him, or maybe it's the fact Will feels, for some inexplicable reason, like he's crushed his chance at happiness before he ever got to taste it.

"When did you get your mark, Dex?" asks Johnson, eyes narrowed.

"March 15th," Dex lies. His voice goes up on the last syllable and he sighs, shutting his eyes. Now everyone knows it's a lie.

"Will Poindexter you are a fucking liar," Johnson says.

"Yo, Johnson, it's chill," Derek says. "Poindexter clearly doesn't want to be my soulmate so I guess we're not soulmates. The world's not cruel enough to give me a soulmate that doesn't want me, right?"

And, God, Derek sounds broken; like he does actually believe that the world gave him a soulmate that doesn't want him. Will hates himself for making someone else feel that way, hates himself for making Derek feel that way.

"Look, Derek, I'm really sorry..." Will starts. "You're going to find your real soulmate someday and..."

"Look I said it was chill," Derek says. "I've got to get going anyway. Shits, will you walk me out."

"Yeah, brah, of course." says Shitty. He turns to look at Will. "Bye, Dex."

It's a cold and sharp goodbye, as Shitty loops his arm with Derek's and pulls him away but Will still feels like it's more than he deserves. He wants to say something else, wants to run after them and fix things, but he knows there's nothing he can say. He's never been good with words and besides, his words have caused enough trouble today.

"What the fuck, Dex?" says Johnson. "I'm sure glad this universe only exists in this one chapter of this one fic because that was fucking hard to watch."

"What?" Will asks, turning to look at Johnson.

"Nothing," says Johnson. "Whatever. It's 'chill'. I'm going to go so this fucking chapter can end. Bye."

Without any further explanation, Johnson turns around and walks away. Will watches him go with an eyebrow raised, glad that even if he does choose this weird school to go to that Johnson would have graduated by the time he gets there. The guy made no sense.

He picks up his bag and walks out the door, thinking about Derek. Maybe he'd been too quick to judge. Apart from overusing the phrase 'chill', Derek hadn't really seemed that bad, definitely not as bad as the usual Andover assholes. And besides, Derek matched all his soulmark criteria and was going to be his defensive half if Will decided to go to Samwell. Maybe they could've been platonic soulmates after all, if Will hadn't been so defensive.

"Hey, Dex!!" Chris says, appearing from nowhere and falling into step with him. "So what do you think of Samwell? Do you think you're going to enroll?"

Will looks up at Chris before gazing across the lake as he tries to think of his answer. Samwell is still a good school, and he can't really afford to turn down the scholarship. Besides, if Derek really was his soulmate then surely Will would be able to fix things, right?

Even from across the lake, Will can spot where Derek and Shitty are standing, he can see the way Derek's buried his face buried in Shitty's shoulder and the way Shitty's hands curl against Derek's neck and back. Will's heart stutters.

"I don't know," he tells Chris. "I'm still thinking about it."


	2. Twenty One

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "I mean, it is me, right?" Dex asks. "You do have my initials on your arm? It's not just some huge coincidence that my soulmate has your initials and your soulmate has my birthtime?"
> 
> Nursey snorts, the corner of his mouth pulling up into a soft smile that doesn't reach the rest of his face. He holds up his arm so Dex can see his soulmark. Even from across the room, Dex can see the way the letters 'WJP' practically shine against Nursey's skin. He itches to move closer, itches to run his fingertips and his lips over his own initials, but he knows he can't. He digs his fingers into his thighs instead, so hard it almost hurts.
> 
> "It could still be a coincidence though," says Nursey, pressing his own thumb against the mark. "It doesn't have to be you."
> 
> [When you get your soulmark at twenty one, there's probably a specific set of initials you're hoping appear on your wrist.].

Twenty One

Haus birthday's weren't the same without Bitty. Last year the Haus had been full with the chatter and laughter of the entire team, a freshly baked chocolate cake waiting in the kitchen to be shared, and an entire blueberry pie in the fridge solely for Dex's consumption. This year, Dex's birthday was a bit quieter. Bitty had promised to come down for the weekend with Jack, and possibly bring Ransom and Holster and Shitty and Lardo if he could, but Dex spends the night of his birthday lying on the floor of the Haus living room, with only the Haus residents, Whiskey, a few bottles of beer and cake Chowder bought from the Murder Stop and Shop for company.

It was different, but Dex wasn't complaining. The quiet gathering had it's own peaceful charm about it and besides, Dex had other things to worry about. If anything, he was somewhat relieved that the entire team weren't going to be watching whether or not his soulmark appeared - he loved them dearly, but the Samwell Men's Hockey alums were some of the nosiest and meddlesome people he's ever met.

"Hey, Dex - you get your soulmark?" Whiskey asks, lazily, around his mouthful of cake.

"I'm still waiting," Dex replies. "My birthtime is 9:04, I think."

He's fully aware that it's nearly 9pm now and hopes he still sounds calm despite the flurry of fear and nerves and hope that have been fluttering inside of him all day.

"That's so soon!!" Chowder exclaims. He's almost vibrating with excitement and, despite his inner turmoil, Dex can't help but smile at his overly enthusiastic best friend. "This is so exciting!! Dex, roll up your sleeves so we can watch!!"

"Chill, C," mutters Foxtrot from her spot next to Nursey.

Dex half-heartedly rolls his eyes at her as he unbuttons the left wrist of his flannel to roll up his sleeve. Foxtrot has been spending far too much time with Nursey - spending more time in Dex's old bed in Nursey's room than in her own bed in the attic. Dex knows he's not allowed to be jealous, that he's the one that chose to move into Bitty's old room away from Nursey, but he's jealous of her anyway. Her friendship with Nursey has always been soft and sweet and easy, everything his has never been able to be.

"Do you think you'll get your soulmate mark, Dex?" asks Tango. "Do you know who your soulmate is? What do you think the letters are going to be?"

Dex's eyes flick over to Nursey before he can help himself, and he quickly turns his attention back to his sleeves, thankful Nursey was too busy staring at the floor to notice him. He forces himself to take a deep breath, reminding him the world wasn't going to end if his soulmate wasn't Derek Nurse. Probably.

"I don't know, Tango," says Dex. "I'm... I guess I'm not sure if I've met my soulmate yet."

"I feel like that's something you would know," says Nursey, quietly

Dex looks back up at Nursey, letting his eyes linger this time. Nursey's staring back at him - his green eyes so full and and so vulnerable and so beautiful and Dex feels his breath catch in his throat. He wants this, he wants Nursey, so badly it almost hurts and he can't help but feel like maybe Nursey wants this too.

"That's bullshit," Dex snaps, in lieu of addressing the fluttering, hopeful feeling in his heart. "Honestly, Nurse, we know plenty of people that..."

"Dex, your arm!!" says Chowder, cutting him off.

Dex's attention snaps to his arm. There's black ink swirling onto his wrist and he gasps at the sight, feeling his heart start beating erratically in his chest. He can't breathe - hoping and praying that they're going to be the initials he's wants, the initials he's wanted since the end of Freshman year, even when he was too scared to admit it to himself.

The letters form and laughter bubbles it of Dex's body before he can stop it. Grinning, he reaches out to trace the letters softly, reverently, with his fingertip. 'DMN'. Now that the letters are on his skin, he can't believe he ever doubted this, can't believe he ever thought there was a universe where the world didn't give him to Derek Malik Nurse.

"'DMN'?" asks Tango. "But, wait a minute, isn't that...? Oh. Oh no."

Dex's eyes immediately snap over to Nursey. Foxtrot's kneeling on the ground beside him, her forehead resting against the side of his head and her arms tightly around Nursey's neck. Nursey's head is buried in his hands, his shoulders dropped.

He looks devastated.

"Oh, fuck," says Whiskey, softly.

It's the least sarcastic thing Whiskey's ever said, but Dex can't bring himself to care. He feels tears swarm his eyes and he looks away from Nursey, glaring at corner of the room and willing himself not to cry. Chowder gently takes his hand and Dex takes a shuddering breath, gripping Chowder's hand like it's the only thing tethering him to the world.

God. He's so stupid.

"Uh, Whiskey, Tango, Foxtrot, can I get your help with something in my room?" Chowder asks, his voice quiet yet commanding.

Whiskey and Tango practically run out of the room. Dex wishes he could join them. Chowder squeezes Dex's hand once before he lets go and gets to his feet.

"Yo, C, don't..." Nursey starts.

He stops talking suddenly and when Dex turns to look at him, Foxtrot is whispering quietly in his ear. She squeezes his arm and gets to her feet, starting to walk toward the door. She stops when she's in front of Dex and drops to her knees, pressing her lips gently against his forehead.

"It's okay, Dex," she mumbles. "You're okay. He's okay too."

It's not okay, it's not even close to being okay, but Foxtrot's back on her feet and out of the room before Dex can respond. Chowder glances between them and opens his mouth to speak but shuts it quickly. He leaves the room and shuts the door behind him. Dex and Nursey are alone.

Dex glances at Nursey to find him glaring at his wrist. The silence is deafening and Dex is sure it will crush him if the rejection doesn't kill him first. He was so naive, thinking that soulmate marks were going to save them, that they were going to change the way Nursey looked at him. Derek Malik Nurse deserved better than his anger issues and communication problems. Derek deserved the best, someone who treated him with the kindness he deserved, someone like...

Oh, shit.

"Were you, uh..." Dex starts. He chokes on the words. He takes a deep breath and tries again. "Were you hoping for Foxtrot?"

"What?" Nursey asks, eyes snapping up to stare at Dex. "No, of course not."

"Right," Dex says. "You were just hoping for someone other than me."

Nursey raises an eyebrow at him before turning his head to glare at the corner of the room. Dex's heart breaks - Nursey can't even look at him.

"I mean, it is me, right?" Dex asks. "You do have my initials on your arm? It's not just some huge coincidence that my soulmate has your initials and your soulmate has my birthtime?"

Nursey snorts, the corner of his mouth pulling up into a soft smile that doesn't reach the rest of his face. He holds up his arm so Dex can see his soulmark. Even from across the room, Dex can see the way the letters 'WJP' practically shine against Nursey's skin. He itches to move closer, itches to run his fingertips and his lips over his own initials, but he knows he can't. He digs his fingers into his thighs instead, so hard it almost hurts.

"It could still be a coincidence though," says Nursey, pressing his own thumb against the mark. "It doesn't have to be you."

"Nursey..." starts Dex. He's trying to sound soft, but he probably just sounds broken. He feels broken. "Nursey, of course it's me."

"It's not you," Nursey says, harshly. "It can't be you."

It's feels the same way as it does when Nursey checks him into the boards during practice; the air punched from his chest, pain coursing through his entire body and the feeling of betrayal that Nursey, his partner, his friend, his fucking soulmate, has done that to him.

Dex folds his arms across his body, digging his fingernails into his skin, and wills himself not to start crying yet. They have to talk about this, they have to work this out. He and Nursey have never been good at communicating, but this has to be the time they start to be. He knows there's no second chances on this, there's going back if they mess this up.

"Why not?" Dex asks.

"Because it can't be," says Nursey. "Because it's not fucking fair that the world would give me a soulmate who doesn't even want me."

Nursey's angry but, for once, Dex can't bring himself to match it. Every word Nursey says feels like a punch to the gut. How could he ever make kind, sweet, intelligent Nursey feel like he wasn't wanted?

"Who said I didn't want you?" Dex asks.

"Come on, Poindexter," says Nursey. "The only reason you're even here right now is because the mark on your wrist is telling you that you should be. You literally wouldn't give a shit about me otherwise."

"That's not true," says Dex. "Nurse, that's so unfair, you didn't even ask me how I feel."

"I know how you feel, Poindexter," says Nursey. "You've hated me since the day you met me and you've always made it clear. You were yelling at me literally five seconds before that mark appeared on your wrist."

"That's just what we do," Dex says. "We argue. It's not malicious - God, it hasn't ever been malicious. I know we haven't always been the best of friends, but I thought we were passed that, Nursey. I thought we changed."

"So did I," says Nursey. "Until you moved out of our room."

"I moved out of our room because I needed my own space," says Dex, his voice rising with his frustration. "Is that so wrong, to want some time alone to think - to be able to put my guard down for a little while? God, Nursey, just because I didn't want to spend every second of my life in your presence..."

"You never told me any of that," interrupts Nursey, voice harsh. "You didn't tell me that you were moving or why, you just left."

"What are you talking about? Of course I..." Dex starts, before trailing off. He knows he'd meant to tell Nursey about taking Bitty's dibs, meant to reassure him that it wouldn't change anything, but he can't remember actually talking to him about it. He can't remember even saying goodbye to Nursey before he left for the summer. "Oh my god... I didn't tell you."

"I just came back from summer break to find my room half empty and all your stuff across the hall," says Nursey, his voice suddenly quiet. "And I thought... God, I thought..."

Nursey's voice trails off and Dex realises that Nursey is crying. He doesn't know if they're angry tears or sad tears but he doesn't care - he practically throws himself across the room to kneel in front of Nursey. He wants to wrap Nursey in his arms and press his lips against Nursey's face and neck and hands, to push his apologies into every inch Nursey's skin, but he knows he's not allowed to. He tentatively reaches down to lay his hands on Nursey's shoulders.

"I'm sorry, Nursey" Dex says, his voice choked. "I'm sorry I didn't talk to you before I moved and I'm sorry I made you feel like I didn't want you. Of course I want you. How could anybody not want you?"

"Fuck off, Poindexter," Nursey mumbles into his hands. "Just go. I don't want to hear this."

Whatever shreds of hope Dex had of fixing this shatter into pieces. He forces himself to drop his hands from Nursey's shoulder and roll himself up to his feet. He wants to stay but he walks across the room, pausing in the doorframe to turn around and look at Nursey. Nursey's face is still in his hands and he looks so utterly dejected. Dex hates himself for this.

"Nursey... Look, I have to say this because you have to know that you're not unloved or unwanted," he says. "I've been in love with you since we lost our final in freshman year - probably longer if I'm honest with myself. I fell in love with the way you walked with me to Annie's in the morning, and the way you slept on my shoulder on roadies, and how you'd always study in the kitchen whenever I was baking. Hell, I even fell in love with the way you sit in your stupid leaf piles and say 'chill' all the fucking time. And, I was scared because I knew you only wanted to marry your soulmate and I didn't think I would be it. I couldn't imagine a world in which the universe decided I was worthy of Derek Malik Nurse. Hell, the universe decided I was worthy of you in this one and I just proved it wrong."

Dex realises his hands are shaking and he grips the doorframe to steady himself. He has to keep going, he has to say all of this, Nursey has to know.

"I was scared, so I ran," he continues. "I took Bitty's room to give myself some space from my hopeless crush on you, so I wouldn't be constantly frustrated by how good you'd look in the mornings, or how you'd sing along to your music when you studied or... how you'd always be sleeping in a bed underneath mine instead of sleeping in mine. Because I didn't think I was allowed to have you. And maybe I didn't mean to tell you all of that before I took Bitty's room but I did mean to tell you something. But I didn't, and I'm so sorry, Nursey."

"Dex..." starts Nursey.

"You deserve better," Dex says. "God, Derek, you deserve everything. And I'm sorry I ran and I'm sorry I hurt you and I'm sorry you didn't get the soulmate you deserved. And I know these damn marks on our wrists aren't going to make you forgive me, I know being soulmates isn't reason enough for everything to work out. I know I fucked up and lost the best thing that's ever happened to me and I'd go back and do everything differently if I could but I can't. And I'm sorry I just dumped all of this on you, Nursey, but I just... You needed to know."

He doesn't even look at Nursey as he turns to leave the room, hoping Nursey can't see his tears - this is his fault so he's not the one that's supposed to be upset about this. He really just wants to go and get in bed, swaddle himself in blankets and cry until he feels numb but he knows Chowder's up there waiting for him, the same way he knows Ford's staying with Nursey's tonight. And although Dex loves Chowder - and he's honestly going to need several dozen hugs from him in the morning - he just wants to be alone tonight, so he walks out the Haus door instead. The door slams behind him, much louder than he intended it to.

He wants to go further, wants to keep walking until the Haus is a distant memory, until he can sit and cry without worrying about someone finding him, but it's pouring rain outside and Chowder and Foxtrot will actually murder his ass if he gets sick during the season, so he collapses on the porch chair instead, burying his head in his hands and focusing on steadying his breathing.

He hasn't even been out there for a minute when the door opens. He sits up straight and scrubs at his face as he's turning to face whoever's at the door. He's expecting Chowder, possibly one of the taddies if Chowder's with Nursey - and honestly, Chowder should be with Nursey after everything Dex has done - but it's Nursey at the door. He looks at Dex and exhales, before sitting on the other side of the porch seat, as far away from Dex as he can manage.

"If you had gone running out in the rain dressed like that I would've legit killed you," says Nursey, slightly awkwardly. "Not even you deserve to get sick on your birthday, Poindexter."

Dex can't stop staring at him, even though Nursey's gaze is firmly focused on the rain. Nursey's entire body looks softer, the tension from before has left his shoulder and his jaw. Dex feels the flutter of hope return to his stomach but he can't push it down this time.

"I..." he starts. His mouth is dry and he swallows hard before trying again. "Thanks, Nursey."

Nursey nods at him, gently wrapping his arms around himself. He's quiet for a moment and Dex doesn't know how to break the silence so he focuses on the sound of the rain.

"I'm sorry I said you didn't want me as a soulmate," says Nursey. "That was unfair, and evidently it was wrong..."

"Don't apologise," Dex interrupts. "That was my fault. None of that is on you."

"Did you mean everything you just said?" asks Nursey. "Have you really loved me since Freshman year?"

Dex doesn't even hesitate. "I have."

"That's #embarassing," says Nursey, a small smirk pulling at the corner of his mouth.

"Nursey," Dex says, seriously. "We're soulmates."

"Well chyeah," says Nursey. "But I didn't realise I loved you until Sophomore year."

Dex's heart skips a beat. He has to be hearing things - there's no way Derek Malik Nurse just agreed they were soulmates and admitted to being in love with him in one sentence.

"You... what?" Dex asks.

"It was your 19th birthday," Nursey says. "And everyone was talking about soulmates and trying to work out what kind of person your soulmate was going to be and I realised the only kind of person I wanted to be your soulmate was me."

"Nursey..." starts Dex, softly.

"I mean, sure, you're angry and argumentative and super frustrating 95% of the time, but you're also smart and loyal and kind when you want to be," Nursey says. "And I have love every part of you. I do love every part of you. Dex - I've never doubted you were my soulmate - even when I thought you hated me, even when I wished that it wouldn't be, I still knew it was going to be you. I've never wanted anyone else. I've only ever wanted you."

"You deserve better," says Dex.

"That might be true," says Nursey. Dex's heart seizes. "I mean, I don't deserve better than you but I deserve better than the way you've been acting. And as much as I want to Ransom-and-Holster this and jump immediately into a romantic relationship, I don't think we should. These soulmarks don't mean everything will work out, but I think things will anyway. But you've got to trust me, Dex. You've got to meet me halfway"

"I will," says Dex. "God, Nursey, of course I will."

Nursey sucks in a deep breath and looks conflicted for a moment. Dex blinks at him, confused at Nursey's sudden change of mood.

"What?" asks Dex.

"Hi Will," Nursey whispers. "I Derek."

Dex tries really hard to glare at Nursey, but he can't stop the smile on his face. He laughs hard, covering his eyes with his hands. He's so in love with this boy.

"Oh my god," says Dex, punching Nursey's shoulder. "You're such a fucking loser, Nursey!"

"I know, I know!" says Nursey, burying his face in his hands while laughing. "It's been a long and emotional day, okay? I'm sorry."

There's suddenly a loud crash from inside the Haus and Dex and Nursey turn to see Foxtrot through the kitchen window, her face buried in her hand. Nursey slides the window up from the outside. Dex makes a mental note to put locks on the Haus windows.

"Uh, hey, Fox," says Nursey. "Whatcha doing?"

"Well, it's been a while since we left you guys and we were kind of worried you had murdered each other so we came downstairs to just make sure you were, y'know, alive," Foxtrot admits. She looks up and glares at something just below the window. "But this asshole got nosy and wanted to make sure you weren't fighting and then he fucking tripped into the window..."

Chowder suddenly pops up from under the window and it's so comical that Dex and Nursey both start laughing all over again.

"You guys were laughing!!" he says. "You don't hate each other!! You're going to be alright!!"

Nursey wraps his fingers around Dex's wrist.

"Yeah, C," he says. "We're going to be alright."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Uhh, Dex? Did you know that Derek Malik Nurse is way too fucking good for you?
> 
>  
> 
> Friends! I'm sorry this chapter took over a month to finish! This chapter was the original (I later decided to explore the same AU with different ages) but the ending took so long to write. I'm just throwing it out here now. Hopefully the other two AUs won't take as long.


	3. Twenty-Eight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dex takes a deep breath. The thing is, he doesn't know if it's going to be Nursey. There was a time in college when he'd been thought that maybe, just maybe, his defense partner could turn out to be his soulmate, but then they'd graduated with nothing more than a handshake and a quick bro-hug, Dex's feelings left unsaid. Now they barely even talked. Dex wasn't sure it was it was even possible to drift away from your soulmate.
> 
> "I don't think he is," he admits. The words hang heavily in the air, threatening to crush him. Tears prick his eyes. "It's been so long, I've waited so long, I can't honestly still be hoping that it's going to be him. But... I want it to be. C, I've been in love with him since we were nineteen. He's everything I want"
> 
> [When you get your soulmark at twenty eight, you may have been waiting for confirmation about whether someone is your soulmate before you take a chance on them].

When he was little, Dex had always believed he'd be with his soulmate by twenty-eight, always imagined spending his twenty-eighth birthday with his soulmate, waiting with baited breath to see if his soulmark (or lack thereof) was going to validate their relationship. But in reality, Dex's twenty-eighth birthday finds him all alone in a tiny apartment in New York City, pacing back and forth in the kitchen and cursing Johnson for putting him in this position.

Everything stupid that happens to him is always Johnson's fault. The guy is remarkably invested in Dex's life for someone who had graduated Samwell before Dex was even part of the team.

Dex briefly stops pacing so he can glare at the clock on the wall. It's just after 8pm so there's an entire miserable hour of panic and anxiety to go before the universe pulls him out of his misery. Groaning, he swipes his phone off the kitchen counter, his fingers finding Chowder's number through sheer muscle memory alone, and calls.

"Hey birthday boy!!" Chowder answers. Dex can see his smile through the phone. "How are you?"

"C, I'm freaking the fuck out," he says, simply. "Help me."

"Oh," says Chowder. "Oh, okay. One second, let me just get rid of this child."

The line goes silent for a while, and Dex imagines Chowder passing Claudia over to Farmer, Claud's little face scrunching in disappointment at being taken away from her father and Chowder pressing kisses into her hair in apology. Dex smiles in spite of his inner turmoil. It would be easy to be bitter about Chowder and Farmer's sweet and easy love story, married with kids before their matching soulmarks even appeared, but Dex could never feel anything but joy at the life his friends got. He couldn't think of two people who deserved more happiness.

"Okay, I'm back," says Chowder. "Why are you freaking out?"

"So, I... might have driven down to Manhattan," Dex admits.

Chowder sighs on the other end of the line, long and ever-suffering.

"Dex..." he begins.

"It's Johnson's fault," Dex, says quickly. "He called me last week offering me the keys to his apartment in Manhattan and I said I didn't want them but he sent them to me anyway. They turned up on my kitchen counter this morning."

Dex doesn't mention that he was about to call Johnson and ask for the keys anyway. He also doesn't mention post it note that had accompanied them - simple words in Johnson's generically pretty handwriting - 'Knew you'd change your mind. Go get him. -J <3'.

"How does Johnson even know where you live?" says Chowder. "Scratch that, how does Johnson even own an apartment in Manhattan? Dude, like, hasn't even have a job since he left Samwell?"

"I know right?" says Dex, leaning against the kitchen counter. "I asked him as much and he just said, and I quote, 'it's important for the plot'. Like, what does that even mean?"

"Fuck if I know," replies Chowder. There's a pause before he adds, "but Dex, Johnson didn't force you to drive to New York."

"Yeah," Dex admits.

"So why did you drive to New York?" asks Chowder.

Dex sighs, burying his face into his free hand. He knows that Chowder isn't asking the question because he doesn't know the answer. Chowder's known every single one of Dex's secrets since they were freshman, sometimes he even knows them before Dex does. No, Chowder's asking because he wants Dex to admit it out loud. Dex doesn't know if he loves him or hates him for it.

"Nursey texted this morning," says Dex with a sigh. "It wasn't anything dramatic, just a simple 'Happy Birthday, Dex!' but it's the first time he's texted me four years, Chowder. And I... I just threw myself into the truck and started driving. I... I couldn't not start driving."

It's not that Nursey and Dex completely cut each other off after graduation, they didn't even really cut each other off four years ago, but keeping in touch is hard when you live in different states. It's not even just Nursey - Dex isn't really still in regular contact with anyone from Samwell except Chowder and Farmer and occasionally Tango. The group chat still exists, but it doesn't buzz nearly as much as it used to and Ransom did invite everyone to his Canada Day party this year but Dex hadn't been able to make it. He still likes their posts on Facebook and watches their stories on Snapchat, especially Nursey's. He still loves his team. It's just... hard.

"Do you think it's going to be him?" Chowder asks.

"Do you?" asks Dex.

"That's not important," Chowder replies. "What's important is what you think."

Dex takes a deep breath. The thing is, he doesn't know if it's going to be Nursey. There was a time in college when he'd been thought that maybe, just maybe, his defense partner could turn out to be his soulmate, but then they'd graduated with nothing more than a handshake and a quick bro-hug, Dex's feelings left unsaid. Now they barely even talked. Dex wasn't sure it was it was even possible to drift away from your soulmate.

"I don't think he is," he admits. The words hang heavily in the air, threatening to crush him. Tears prick his eyes. "It's been so long, I've waited so long, I can't honestly still be hoping that it's going to be him. But... I want it to be. C, I've been in love with him since we were nineteen. He's everything I want"

"Nine years is a long time to wait for someone," Chowder chirps, his voice soft and fond. "Dex, you're going to be okay - you're going to be okay if it's not Nursey and you're going to be okay if it is."

Dex exhales. He knows this. He knows that nothing changes if Nursey's not his soulmate. It's just sometimes hard to accept.

"Can I move to California if things don't work out?" he murmurs.

"Dude, of course!" says Chowder. "You can move to California even if things do. Claudia has been demanding to see Uncle Dexy."

Dex smiles. God bless the Chows, honestly. He has no idea where he'd be without the three of them.

"Thanks, C," says Dex. "Honestly, thank you for everything."

"That's what best friends are for, Dex," Chowder replies. "Do you want me to stay with you while you wait? You're 9:04 right?"

"Yeah, 9:04," says Dex. "But I'll be okay. You get back to Farmer and Claudia. Give them my love, okay?"

"I will," says Chowder. "But call me if you need me, okay?"

"Okay," Dex agrees. "Love you, C."

"Love you, too!" Chowder says. "Oh and Dex?"

"Yeah?" Dex asks.

"Chill," Chowder says before hanging up the phone.

Dex can't help but laugh as he puts his phone away. He glances at the wall clock and frowns. There's still too much time. The room's too quiet without Chowder and the ticking of the clock breaks through the silence to mock him. Dex sighs - the call was helpful but he's still so wound up, still so nervous about what might happen.

He makes himself a sandwich, taking the time to spread the butter perfectly into every corner. He checks Bitty's twitter and Ransom's snapchat and Nursey's Instagram, scrolling far enough back to see their graduation photo from way back when - the three frogs hugging in their gowns in the setting Samwell sun. He paces, back and forth and back and forth and back and forth across the kitchen floor. And he waits, glaring periodically at the clock as if that would make it tick faster.

He stops moving at 9:03, staring at the clock and watching the seconds tick-tick-tick down. It hits 9:04pm his eyes jump down to his wrist and there's...

nothing.

There's no black ink - no letters appearing on his freckled skin. He stares in shock at his wrist, occasionally flicking his eyes back to the clock. It's 9:05, 9:06, 9:07 and his wrist is still painfully blank, Nursey's still not his soulmate.

He braces himself on the counter, takes a few deep breaths, letting reality sink in. He's twenty eight, his soulmate is younger than twenty eight and he has no idea who it could be because the only person he's ever considered as his soulmate turned twenty eight in February. He's so stupid, how could it have possibly been Nursey? He hasn't even talked to Nursey in the last four years! He sinks to the floor, tears finally falling from his eyes as he pulls out his phone. He needs Chowder.

He unlocks his phone right as he sees the time on his phone tick from 9:03 to 9:04.

It takes a moment for the realisation to set in, and another moment to mentally swear at Johnson for letting his clock run fast, and by the time Dex remembers to check his wrist, the letters have already formed on his skin. His phone falls from his grip, cluttering loudly against the floor. He's crying again as he presses his lips against his wrist, gently kissing the dark 'DMN' that now adorns his skin.

It's like everything suddenly falls in place. He almost can't believe he ever doubted this. Of course Nursey's his soulmate. How could he not have been?

Dex's phone buzzes and he jumps, hands frantically searching the ground for it. He unlocks it to see a single text from Nursey, a picture of his wrist with the letters 'WJP' written neatly across his skin in black ink. Dex stares at the picture in awe.

Another text comes through

'We can pretend it's just a coincidence if you want.'

and then another

'But I was hoping it was going to be you.'

And suddenly Dex is on his feet because he's in Johnson's apartment in New York City and Nursey is a only a few blocks away from him right now and they're SOULMATES - why hasn't he gone to Nursey yet? Dex grabs Johnson's keys, locks the door and runs - down the stairs, out of the building and onto the streets. He's been looking up the route between Johnson's apartment and Nursey's brownstone all day so he already already knows the way. It's been a long time since he was a college-level athlete and he's soon gasping for breath, his legs protesting every step, but he doesn't stop - he keeps running until he's on the doorstep of Nursey's brownstone, his hands braced against the door as he tries to catch his breath.

"Yo, Foxy, chill," Nursey says and Dex realises the window is open. His heart skips a beat hearing Nursey say his old catchphrase. It's almost like nothing has changed. "It's been fifteen minutes. He's not gonna call."

Dex's heart sinks at the disappointment and sadness in Nursey's tone. He had been so focused on getting to Nursey as fast as humanly possible that he hadn't stopped to think to reassure Nursey was coming. He takes a deep breath and knocks on the door.

It only takes a moment for Nursey to open it.

Dex's breath catches in his throat.

It's not like he hasn't seen Nursey recently. Nursey still posts an excessive amount of selfies and Dex has seen all of them multiple times. But there's no way a photograph could measure up to the real thing. Nursey is breathtaking in person, even more so than he is online, even more so than he was at Samwell. Dex isn't sure which part of Nursey he feels more attacked by at the moment - his stubble, or his soft curls or his green eyes or the fact the sleeves of his crisp white shirt are rolled to the elbow so that Dex can clearly see where his initials shine on Nursey's toned arm.

It's almost unfair. But then Dex remembers that Nursey is his soulmate and that Nursey has already admitted to wanting to be his soulmates and realises that maybe that maybe he's not the one getting the unfair end of this deal.

"Hey, Foxtrot, I'm gonna have to call you back," Nursey says. He hangs up the phone. He pockets the phone. And then he stares at Dex like he's never seen him before.

"Uh, hi," Dex tries.

"Hi," says Nursey. "You're in New York."

"Yeah," says Dex. "I am."

It's awkward. But it's been four years since they've seen each other and their suddenly soulmates so Dex thinks it's okay that it's awkward. He forces himself to keep eye contact with Nursey and reminds himself to breathe. Chowder's voice echoes in his mind - "you're going to be okay".

"Right," Nursey says. He nods. "And how long have you been New York?"

"I drove up this morning," says Dex. "I got in a couple of hours ago. Johnson has an apartment a couple of blocks from here so I've just been staying there."

"I didn't know Johnson had an apartment in Manhattan," says Nursey, running his hand through his hair, clearly also nervous. "He seems to own a lot of apartments, actually. I wonder why. And also like... how."

"Plot convenience?" Dex offers in his best impression of the old Samwell goalie.

Nursey chuckles, his voice low and quiet. It's the most beautiful sound Dex has ever heard. Dex smiles at Nursey and Nursey smiles back, tentative and unsure.

"So, you're my soulmate," says Dex, softly.

"So, I'm your soulmate," Nursey agrees. "Were you disappointed? When you found out it was me?"

Nursey sounds scared and Dex hates it. He loves Nursey, he's loved Nursey for almost ten years but he was too damn scared to do anything about it. Maybe Nursey was scared too. Dex reaches out and takes Nursey's hand in his, entwining their fingers together.

"Nursey, I drove to New York this morning because I wanted it to be you," Dex says, his thumb brushing softly against the back Nursey's hand. "I've wanted it to be you ever since I was nineteen years old. I'm only disappointed that I wasn't brave enough to come get you before. I'm sorry, I was scared and..."

"Dex..." Nursey interrupts, breathlessly. "Will... Can I kiss you?"

Dex's heart stutters.

"God, Derek," he says. "Please."

Nursey brings his free hand to Dex's jaw and closes the gap; his lips softly pressing against Dex's. It's short and it's sweet and it's chill - remarkably so for a kiss that Dex has been waiting nine years for. It's perfect.

"Come in," says Nursey, dropping his hand from Dex's face. "We have a lot to talk about."

Dex knows they have a lot to talk about. They have a few years worth of conversations and almost a decade of kisses to catch up with, they have to plan how to make this work when they live in different cities, they have to relearn each other all over again. He knows all this, but Nursey's hand is still warm in his and they're soulmates so he tugs Nursey back in and kisses him again.

They have the rest of their lives to talk about it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tag yourself: I'm Johnson setting his clock five minutes fast just to introduce angst into the narrative.
> 
> Also, the nearly dead SMH group chat is dedicated to my own university group chat that died approximately six months after we left university.


	4. Thirty Five

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dex chuckles quietly. He loves moments like this - the soft and quiet endings to their long and hectic days. He supposes that, even if things go badly tonight, even if Nursey changes his mind, he'll still be able to hold onto this feeling, and he'll still have the twins, and maybe it could...
> 
> No, it could never be enough - nothing could ever be enough without Derek Malik Nurse.
> 
> "Hey, Nursey?" Dex asks. "I... What if it's not you?"
> 
> [When you only get your soulmark at 35, sometimes you have to take a risk with someone before you know if they can be your soulmate].

Dex finishes stacking the dishwasher and shuffles into the living room, sinking down onto the green sofa. He leans backward and tilts his head up to stare at the ceiling. He's buzzing with nervous energy - he has been all week - but he's trying to keep it all in check. It's not that he's scared, exactly - he's never once doubted his life choices, not when it comes to things like this - but he can't help but worry. There's a small, but nonzero, chance that everything will change tonight and he hasn't quite been able to avoid thinking of the heartbreaking hypothetical what-ifs.

Dex startles when Nursey curls up next to him on the couch, too wrapped up in his own thoughts to have heard Nursey come in. Nursey pushes his head into Dex's shoulder and wraps an arm around Dex's stomach and Dex automatically reaches to wrap his arm around Nursey, absentmindedly stroking Nursey's tattoo with his fingers. He closes his eyes and focuses on the sound of Nursey's breathing, the smell of his rich perfume, the warmth of his body pressing into Dex's. It's comforting.

Nursey is always comforting.

"Dude, Aidan did not want to go to bed today," Nursey murmurs quietly. "I think he knew I was minutes away from abandoning my efforts and just letting him stay up while we did this."

"I think he's just stubborn like his papa," Dex chirps softly, gently nudging Nursey's head with his arm.

"Yo, chill," Nursey says, tightening his arms around Dex's waist. The smile is evident in his voice. "Everyone knows you're the stubborn one in this marriage, William."

Dex chuckles quietly. He loves moments like this - the soft and quiet endings to their long and hectic days. He supposes that, even if things go badly tonight, even if Nursey changes his mind, he'll still be able to hold onto this feeling, and he'll still have the twins, and maybe it could...

No, it could never be enough - nothing could ever be enough without Derek Malik Nurse.

"Hey, Nursey?" Dex asks. "I... What if it's not you?"

He doesn't elaborate, doesn't think Nursey needs him too. Nursey lets go of him and sits up, breaking every bit contact between their bodies, and Dex instantly misses the warmth. He opens his eyes and lifts his head off the back of the couch, turning to face his husband. Nursey's sitting cross-legged and sideways on the couch, his face soft and open but serious.

He's beautiful, Dex thinks. It's not a new thought.

"Do you not think it's going to be me?" Nursey asks.

Nursey's voice is soft, and Dex knows immediately that Nursey is asking for Dex's sake rather than his own. It reminds Dex about how there was a time, many many years ago, when Nursey's voice was always hurt and angry, offensive and defensive at the same time, and Dex would've answered in kind, the two of them pushing and prodding at each other until someone broke. But this isn't that - it isn't their freshman year of college, with Dex and Nursey constantly misunderstanding each other and always gearing for a fight. This is Dex and Nursey at their finest - patient and selfless and beautifully in love.

And the thing is, Dex knows that they're going to be soulmates. He doesn't believe a universe that gave Jack to Bitty, and Holster to Ransom, and Chowder to Farmer could not give Nursey to him - not after everything they went through to get here. But there's this stupid feeling he can't shake, one that sounds like his brother's divorce from the woman he'd loved since they were in high school, one that looks like Nursey's parents having matching marks with their new wives, instead of each other.

He feels guilty for even thinking that way. He just can't help it.

"It's going to be you," Dex says. "I know it is, there isn't any way it could not be you. Just... What would it mean for us, what would it mean for you, if it wasn't?"

"It would mean that soulmates are bullshit," Nursey says, without even a moment of hesitation. He reaches out take Dex's hand in his.

"Derek..." Dex starts

"Look Will, I know soulmates are, like, super romanticised and whatever, but that doesn't mean they can change how I feel," says Nursey, gently. He rubs his thumb across the back of Dex's knuckles. " I didn't choose to leave New York, get married and adopt the twins with you because I thought you were my soulmate. I did it with you because I wanted to do all those things with you. Nothing will change that. Even if we're not soulmates, even if we have random letters on our wrists for the rest of our lives, I'm still going to want everything with you."

Dex is almost overwhelmed by the amount of affection he feels for his husband. He's so grateful to have found a life partner so selfless and sensitive and good as Derek Malik Nurse. It's more than he deserves.

There are tears pricking at Dex eyes as reaches out with his free hand to cradle Nursey's jaw, leaning in and gently pressing his lips against his husbands. Nursey squeezes his hand as he gently pushes back, the pressure firm but gentle between their lips. It feels just like their first kiss- soft, sweet and unhurried, yet bursting with the promise of more. Dex pulls back after a moment, resting his forehead against Nursey's.

"That's fucking gay, Nurse," he mumbles, breathlessly. There's a lot of hidden meaning behind the chirp, but Dex doesn't bother to put it into words. He knows Nursey gets it.

"You're fucking gay, Nurse," Nursey mumbles back. He tilts his face forward to briefly kiss Dex again.

"Ya, I think that's true," says Dex. He shifts on the couch so that he can lean against Nursey's shoulder, absentmindedly playing with Nursey's fingers as Nursey sinks back into the couch. "I love you - you know that, right? I love you so much, Nursey. I can't imagine doing any of this without you. I wouldn't ever want to do anything without you."

"Fucking sap," Nursey mutters, like he didn't just express the exact same sentiment, like he hasn't published an excessively romantic anthology of poetry about his husband. He presses a kiss into Dex's hair. "But I know, Dex. I love you too."

Dex lifts their joint hands up to his face, closing his eyes as he presses his lips against Nursey's wrist. As he pulls away and opens his eyes, he notices the black ink swirling on Nursey's skin. His eyes flick up in surprise, looking at the clock on their living room wall. It's 9:04pm. He hadn't even realised how long they'd been talking.

Dex's eyes jump back down to their hands. Nursey's wrist is facing upwards and Dex's breath catches in his throat as he watches the letters 'WJP' form on Nursey's skin. He strokes the mark with his thumb, before letting go of Nursey's hand so he can flip his own wrist around. He rests his hand alongside Nursey's.

The letters 'DMN' practically glow against his skin.

He's not really sure how to describe how he feels. He expected big emotions, like the overwhelming delight of when Nursey agreed to marry him, or the all-consuming joy of when he held the twins for the first time after the adoption paperwork went through - both of which had left him close to tears. This isn't anything like that. It's quieter, more like the soft happiness of picking up the twins from school every Friday and the peaceful contentment of lazily kissing Nursey in bed every Saturday morning.

It feels like coming home.

"Huh," says Dex, rather than attempting to put any of that into words. "That's chill."

Nursey chuckles, his shoulder vibrating against Dex's head as his soft, melodious laughter fills their living room. Nursey takes Dex's hand in his, his fingertips lightly tracing his own initials on Dex's skin. Dex's eyes flutter closed.

"You know, it could just be a coincidence," Nursey murmurs, his voice gentle and deep in Dex's ear. "This doesn't necessarily have to be me."

Dex chuckles as he sits up, opening his eyes to look at his partner. Nursey's eyes are shining with laughter, his mouth lifting up in his signature smirk.

He's beautiful.

"It doesn't matter if it is just a coincidence," Dex says. "It's still you."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Me: IDK, I kinda hate it when people change their last names when they get married.  
> Also me: William Jacob NURSE.
> 
>  
> 
> Anyway, that brings us to an end of the soulmate AU! Thanks for reading. Let me know which universe was your favourite in the comments or come yell at me on tumblr (unacaritafeliz/welovewebseries)


End file.
